Joint replacement surgery is quite common and enables many individuals to function normally when otherwise it would not be possible to do so. One of the more common prosthetic joint implants is the artificial hip joint. The artificial hip joint is made up of several components, including a femoral component and an acetabular component or shell. The femoral component includes an elongate stem or shaft which is mounted within the medullary canal of the femur.
In the course of hip replacement surgery, a cavity for receiving the prosthesis stem is reamed in the bone. The stem can be designed to be cemented within the cavity, to be press-fit within the cavity, or to rely on both cemented and press-fit fixation. The stem must be properly positioned and oriented within the cavity to enable proper functioning of the hip joint.
With some cemented stems, it can be difficult to determine the proper depth of the stem within the cavity. Some stems include a proximal collar that mounts upon the proximal end of the prepared femur to provide proper depth positioning. However, collarless stems can be more difficult to seat at the proper depth. If improperly implanted, the stem must be then removed and reinserted, increasing operative time.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a device which facilitates the insertion of a prosthetic stem of an orthopedic implant into a prepared bone cavity at a desired depth.